Improvement in washing-machines



S.A ENTWISTLE.

Improvement in' Washing Machines.

N0. 125,554, Patentd-Apri|9,1u817r2.

NITED STATES SMITHSONZENTWISTLE, OF MILLBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 125,554, dated April 9, 1872.

l To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SMrrHsoN ENTwIsTLE, of Millbury, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descript-ion o f the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a plan view of my improved washing-machine, and Fig. 2-represents a front view of the same, a portion of the tub being removed to showthe parts in theintcrior.

The nature of my invention consists in cer-l tain improvements in machines for washing clothing and other articles, as hereinafter described.

In the drawing, the part marked A represents the washingtub, which is mounted upon a spider-frame, A', fixed to and supported upon a vertical center pintle, which works in the bearing B' at the lower central portion of the main frame B. C indicates a vertical square shaft, the lower end of which is supported in a step-bearing, a, at the center of the tub bottorn, while its upper end works in a suitable bearing on the cross-piece B2 at the top ofthe main frame. D indicates an operating shaft supported in a vertical position at one side of the machine by bearings b b from the frame B. Said shaft D is provided with cranks D1 D2 at its ends, and is connected for operation to the driving-shaft E by means of bevel-gears El, in the manner shown. The driving-shaft E is arranged in a horizontal position, and is supported in bearings c, upon a bearing-frame, B3, projecting from the upper part of the main frame B, and a crank, E2, is fixed to the outer 'end of the shaft E, by means of which the machine may be conveniently operated by hand.

Upon machines designed to be operated by power, pulleys or gears would be used in place of the crank E. F indicates a crank attached to the lower end of the spider-frame spindle, and joined by a connecting-bar, G, to the operating-crank D2 at the lower end of the shaft D, and H indicates a crank attached to the upper end of the square shaft C, which is joined, by a connecting-rod, I, to the operating-crank D1 at the upper end of the vertical shaft D. K indicates a rubbing-disk, which is arranged within the tub A upon the square shaft C. This disk is formed in two parts, and is provided with radiating flanges or corrugations e upon its under side, and its center or hub is fitted to the form of the shaft C. The two parts are held to each other, and the disk rel tained upon the shaft O by means of a collar, J, which surrounds the hub of the disk K, and

`is clamped on by means of a set-screw, d, as

bottom of the tub A is furnished with radiating flanges or corrugations z' similar to those upon the disk K, and a small shoulder is formed upon the lower end of the shaft G to prevent the disk K from dropping so low as to interlock the iian ges or corrugations e and z'. The cranks F and H of the tub-frame spindle and disk-shaft C are made slightly lon ger than the operating cranks D1 D2 on the shaft D and the relative positions of the centers are such that the longer cranks F H will, by the action of cranks D1 and D2, and connecting-rods Gr H, be caused to swing past the dead-point at one part of their sweep, but not at the other, so that when the shaft D and cranks D1 D2 are revolved the rubbing-disk K and tub A' will each be operated with a rotary oscillating motion, making nearly a full revolution in one direction and then reversing and swinging in the opposite direction for the same distance, thus swinging back and forth with each two revolutions of the shaft D and cranks D1 D2. The tub and disk K operate independently of each other, and for a greater part of the time they move in opposite directions, so that the clothing or other articles which are in the tub `A beneath'the disk K will, bythe operation, be

rubbed and scoured between the flanges or corrugations c z', whereby the dirt will be removed in a very expeditious and satisfactory manner. The tub A may be permanently secured to the frame A', or be temporarily fastened thereto by some suitable device, so that the tubV can be removed when desired. The spindle of the spider-frame A', as it makes but a partial revolution, and then reverses, may be connected to the shaft D by double cranks and connecting-rods, the cranks extending in opposite directions, so as to produce a counterbalance of force at the opposite sides of the shaft and spindle centers, and thus, by balancing the resistance against the crank-'pins when the motion of the tub is reversed, equalize and reduce the friction and jar on the Various parts. By permitting a more equal distribution of force throughout the revolution of the operating-cranks, and by equalizin g the friction upon the crankpins and bearings the double crank-connections cause the machine to run easier, and subject the parts to a more equal Wear; consequently, upon large and heavy machines the double connections are to be preferred, although the movement imparted to the tub A and disk K would be the same as with single cranks. The upper connectingrod I can be removed at pleasure by raising it oft' from crank-pins, and thus permit of a Wringer being placed upon the top bar B2 of the frame over the tub. The supportin g-frame may be made of any suitable design, more or less ornamental. The proportion or difference between the length of the'cranks D1 D2 and the cranks F H,may be increased, if desired, in order to diminish the arc of oscillation through which the tub A and disk K move.

Having described my improvementsin Washingmachines,what I claim therein as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the main frame B,- tub-supporting frame A', and the operatingshaft D, of the cranks D2 and F, and connectingrod G, constructed and arranged to operate in relation to each other, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with the rubbing-disk Kland operating-shaft D, of the disk-shaft C, cranks H and D1, and connecting-rod I, constructed and arranged to operate in relation to each other, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

.3. The combination, with the disk-shaft C, of the divided disk K, clamping-collar J, and its screw d, substantially'as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, in a Washing-machine,

of the following elements-viz: The double-reversing internally-corrugated Washing-tub A fi, double-reversing corrugated rubbing-disk K e, shafts C D E, cranks H, D1, D2, and F, connecting-rods G I, gearsEl, and frames B, B1, B2, B3, and A1, said parts being constructed and combined for operation substantially as shown and described.

Witnesses: SMITHSON ENTWISTLE.

CHAs. H. BURLEIGH, A. E. Pinnen. 

